Apparatus for the electrical treatment of air.



PATENTED 00T. 25, 1904. J. E. MITCHELL & D. PARKS.

APPARATUS PGR THE ELEGTRIGAL'TRBATMENT 0F AIR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9. 1904.

N0 MODEL` 2 SHEETS--SHBET 1.

- PTLNLLD 00T. 25, 1904. J. L. MITCHELL L D. PARKS..

APPARATUS POR THE ELECTRICAL TREATMENT OT AIR.

' ABPLIUATION FILED JULY 9, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

Patented October 25, 1904.

UNITED STATES "PATENT Ormea.

JOHN ELVIN MITCHELL AND DENNIS PARKS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTRICAL TREATMENT OF AIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 773,407, dated October 25, 1904.

Application filed J'uly 9, 1904. Serial No. 215,947. (No model.)

To all whom, t Hefty concern:

Beit known that we, JOHN ELVIN MITCHELL and DENNIS PARKS, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Electrical Treatment of Air, of which the following is a specification. -v

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for use in the electrical treatment of air, and has for its object-to provide a machine of the character indicated in which a series of electrodes and a pump forY withdrawing from the region of the` electrical discharge produced between said electrodes air as'modified thereby areA Operated from a common shaft, to provide means for operating said pump and electrodes in synchronism, to insure that air shall only be drawn through the apparatus by the action of the pump during the time the electrical discharge is taking place, and to provide a series of vertically-movable electrodes and a horizontally-disposed pump, which electrodes and the piston of said pump shall be operated, respectively, by independent cranks mounted on a common driving-sl'iaft, and to provide a series of air tubes or chambers containing the electrodes which shall be connected at one end by a hood having an air-inlet and provided at their opposite ends with valve-outlets communicating with opposite ends of a pump-cylinder.

The above constitute salient or distinctive.

' to follow. I

That which we' claim as our invention will be indicatedlin the claims following this specification.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, we have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts in section, and Fig. 3 a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 indicates the pump-cylinder, which is supported at opshaft 7, said.drive-sl1aft being operated by means of a pulley 8 through the medium of a belt. (Not shown.) On one end of said shaft 7 is mounted a crank 9, to which is pivotally connected a pitman-rod 10, which is in turn connected to the piston-rod 5.

` Mounted on the base 3 at the side and near opposite ends of the pump-cylinder lare two upright air chambers or tubes I1 -12, secured to the upper endsof which is a hood 13, having an air-inlet opening 14E.

l5 16 indicate pipes which afford communication between the respective air-tubes 11 and l2 and the hollow standards 2 2u. Said pipes, as shown,u lead from the lower ends of the air-tubes l1 and l2.

17 and 18 indicate stationary electrodes which are supported in hollow pedestals 19, mounted on the bottom of the air-chambers.

20 21 indicate the movable electrodesggvhich are supported in any suitable manner from the lower end of rods 22 23, said rods extending through and being slidably mounted in suitable bearings 24 in the top of the hood 13.

25 indicates a standard rising from the hood 13, projecting from opposite sides of which at its upper end are arms 26, which are provided at their outer ends, respectively, with bearings 27, which receive and guide the rods 22 23. Pivotally mounted at 28 on the standard 25 is a walking-beam 29, to which iscentrally connected one end of a rockerarm 30. Connected to the opposite or lower end of said rocker-arm is a connecting-rod 3l, which is pivotally connected to a crank 32, mounted on the opposite end of the shaft 7 to that first described and having a shorter IOO stroke than the crank 9. The purpose of the walking-beam 29 and the parts connected therewith is to alternately reciprocate the electrode-rods 22 and 23. To this end and to allow for the automatic adjustmentot' said electrodes to compensate for the burning away of the electrodes we pivotally mount on the opposite ends of the walking-beam 29 links 33, which are in turn pivotally connected to the outer ends of dogs 34. Said dogs are apcrtured intermediate their ends, as indicated at 35, to loosely receive the rods 22 and 23 and have inner projecting ends 36. Adjustably mounted in the respective arms 26 ot' the standard 25 are stop-pins 37, the lower ends of which are bent inward, as indicated at 38, to lie in the path of the projecting ends 36 of the dog 34. As the walking-beam 29 is operated from the crank 32, at each upward stroke of' either of its ends it will be seen that the dog 34 will be canted and caused to bind upon its rod, thereby lifting the electrode out of contact with its corresponding stationary electrode, as shown at the left in Fig. 1. In the downward stroke the dog will continue to bind the rod until the projecting end 36 of the dog engages with the end 38 of the stoppin 37, whereby the free end ot' the dog will beheld stationary, while its outer end will be carried downward a little farther by the walking-beam, which action causes the dog to entirely release its hold upon the rod 22 or 23, thereby allowing ample time for the electrode carried thereby to adjust itself into thorough contact with the stationary electrode. 1n operation the adjustment of the parts is such that the free end 36 of the dogs will engage with the stop-pin at about the time that -the movable electrode comes in contact with the stationary electrode, so that the adjusting movement ot the rods carrying the movable electrodes is scarcely perceptible. Then the stop-pins 37 are once properly adjusted to correspond with the throw of the walking-beam, the machine as to this feature will continue to operate automatically withont requiring attention until the electrodes are enti rely burned away, when it is of course necessary to replace them with new ones. 1t will thus be seen that we provide in a simple and eliicient manner for bringing the respective sets of electrodes into intimate contact in each cycle ot' movement, and thus compensate for the wear or burning away of the electrodes.

The electric current for producing arcs between the respective sets of electrodes is supplied by wires 39 and 40 leading from a dynamo, the wires 39 connecting with the lower stationary electrodes 17 and 18 and the wires 40 connecting with the movable electrodes 2O and 21 through the rods 22 and 23.

The movable electrodes are alternately raised and lowered by mechanism described and are always brought into Contact with the stationary electrodes in the air-tubes, and each time the respective sets of electrodes are drawn apart an arc or flaming' discharge of electricity is produced between them in one air-tube, which discharge continues until the electrodes in the other air-tube are brought into contact and closes the circuit.

Each of the hollow standards 2 2 is divided by a partition 4l into two compartments 42 43, respectively, which communicate through the medium of an opening 44 in said partition. Said opening is controlled by a flapvalve 45,- opening downwardly and located in the compartment 48. Vithin the compartment 42 is a similar valve 46, controlling the opening of the pipe 15 or 16. The pump-cylinder is provided in the opposite ends with openings 47, which communicate,respectively, with the compartment 42 of the two hollow standards 2 and 2, An outlet-pipe 48 leads from the compartment 43 of each ot' the hollow standards.

The construction immediately above described is illustrated in Fig. 3 in connection with one end ot' the apparatus; but it is to be understood that the opposite end is constructed in the same manner, and the operation ot' each is identical. Thus in the movement of the piston 4 in one or the other direction air will be drawn in through the opening 14. down through the air-tube 11 or 12, and through the pipe 15 or 16 into the compartment 42, and through the opening 47 into the pump-cylinder, this suction movement of the piston, as will be understood, opening the valve 46 and closing the valve 45. ln the reverse movement ot' the piston the valve,46 will be closed and the air will be forced from the cylinder 1, through the opening 47, into the compartment 42 and through the opening 44 into the compartment 43, and thence through the outlet-pipe 48. A suitable pipe or conduit will of course communicate with the outlet-pipe 42 to lead the modified air to the place of application. Vlfhile the arc is being drawn ofr' in one of the air-tubes the piston in the air-pump draws the current of air through said air-tube, the reverse motion of the piston drawing air through the other airtube simultaneously with the electric discharge, and the movement of the piston in the pump is timed exactly with the electrodes, so that one set of electrodes are brought into contact at the same time the piston in the pump reaches the end ot its stroke, and as the valves covering the inlet and outlet openings are opened and closed by the action of the pump no air is ejected by the pump which has not been subjected to the action of the electrical discharge. In other words, the pump draws the air alternately through the two airtubes, and simultaneously with the movement of air through the tubes the electrodes are IOO drawn apart, causing the electrical discharge, thus insuring that all the air drawn into the pump shall be subjected to the action of such discharge.

By having the air-tubes connected by the hood 13 and providing the latter with an inlet we are enabled to draw or pipe the air from any desired source'of supply, Whether adjacent to the machine or at a distance therefrom. It is apparent that we may extend the electrodes 2() and 2l through the'top of the hood and dispense with the separate bars 22 and 23; but Vfor convenience of adjustment and in inserting new electrodes we find it advisable to employ the rods and support the electrodes thereon. We have used the term electrode in the claims as applying not only to the electrode proper, (indicated by 20 or 21,) but as well to the rod 22 or 23.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 'is- 1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with inclosed relatively movable electrodes, a pump coperating therewith, and means for synchronously operating said electrodes and pump.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination-with inclosed stationary and movable electrodes, a pump coperating therewith, and means for operating the movable Aelectrode in synchronism with said pump.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with inclosed relatively movable electrodes, a vpump coperating therewith having a piston, and means for synchronously operating said electrodes and piston.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination With inclosed stationary and movable electrodes, a pump coperating therewith having a piston, and means for operating the movable electrode in synchronism with said piston.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with inclosed relatively movable electrodes, a pump coperating therewith comprising a cylinder and piston, and means for operating said electrodes and pump to bring the electrodes to the point of nearest approach at the same time the piston reaches the limit of its movement in one direction.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with inclosed relatively movable electrodes, a pump coperat- A ing therewith having a piston, a drive-shaft, and means actuated by the said drive-shaft for synchronously operating said electrodes and piston.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with inclosed stationary and movable electrodes, a pump coperating therewith having a piston, a drive-shaft, and means comprising cranks, actuated by said drive-shaft for operating the movable electrode in synchronism with said piston.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with two sets of electrodes connected with a source of electricity, each set being relatively movable into and out oi' contact to form arcs, and the contact of one set being adapted to short-circuit the arcs of the other set, a pump cooperating therewith and comprising a cylinder and piston, and meansfor operating said electrodes and piston to cause the respective sets of electrodes to be brought alternately into contact at the same time that the piston reaches the limit of its movement in either direction.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with a series of upright air-tubes, a set of electrodes mounted in each tube, one electrode in each set having vertical movement, a horizontally-disposed air-pump communicating with said tubes and having a piston, a drive-shaft, and'means for operating said movable electrodes and said piston comprising independent cranks mounted on said drive-shaft.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, air-tube's, a hood connected at one end to' said air-tubes and having an air-inlet, electrodes mounted in said tubes, means for producing relative movement between the electrodes, and an air-pump having its cylinder connected at opposite ends with respective air-tubes for drawing air therefrom, and a piston working in said cylinder.

l1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with two air-tubes, electrodes therein, means Jfor producing relative movement between said electrodes, a pump embodying a cylinder and piston, said cylinder` communicating near opposite ends With the respective air-tubes and with outletpipes, and valves controlling the inlet to and utlet from the respective ends of said cyliner. l

In testimony whereof wehave hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN ELVIN MITCHELL. DENNIS PARKS.

I/Vitnesses:

J. N. BONNER, CHARLES HEISLER.

IOC)

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